Competitive Service employees are eligible for CTAP prior to an employee’s separation date. Image: Chumakov Oleg/Shutterstock.com
By: Nancy SegalThe Federal government has 3 main programs to support employee career transitions for competitive service employees: Reemployment Priority List (RPL), Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP), and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). The Priority Reemployment List (PRL) applies to Excepted Service employees.
CTAP: Competitive Service employees are eligible for CTAP prior to an employee’s separation date. CTAP eligibility begins when the agency issues a RIF notice, proposed removal for declining a directed reassignment, or a Certificate of Expected Separation. CTAP eligibility expires upon separation.
- Requires selection priority in all agency components in the same commuting area.
- CTAP eligible employees must apply and be rated well-qualified or better
ICTAP: Competitive Service employees are eligible for ICTAP prior to and after RIF separation. Elibility begins when an employee receives a RIF notice or formal notice of proposed removal for declining a directed reassignment or transfer of function.
- Selection priority for jobs at the same or lower grade in other agencies in the same commuting area.
- ICTAP eligibility must be granted before filling a competitive service position through competitive examining, noncompetitive appointment, transfer or reinstatement.
- ICTAP eligible employees must apply and be rated well qualified or better
- Eligibility for ICTAP lasts for 1 year after separation.
RPL: RPL is designed to help eligible former Competitive Service federal employees regain employment after a RIF or compensable injury. Eligible former employees must register for consideration and specify desired locations and positions. Agencies are responsible for check the RPL before hiring external candidates for similar positions in the commuting area.
- RPL eligible typically lasts 2 years unless the registrant declines a valid job offer or becomes ineligible.
PRL: Required for preference eligibles who have been furloughed or separated without cause. Agencies may (but are not required to) include non-preference eligibles in the program. Eligibility occurs following separation; it is applicable to Excepted Service positions at the same or lower grade within the commuting area.
Nancy H. Segal is a federal job search expert. Following her own senior-level federal HR career, she founded Solutions for the Workplace LLC to provide a HR management perspective to astute applicants to U.S. government positions.
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